Fireworks explosion in Hawaii kills at least 3 people, injures at least 20
New Year’s Eve fireworks explosion HonoluluAuthorities said at least three people were killed and at least 20 seriously injured near the area.
“It looked like a war zone,” said Honolulu Fire Chief Sheldon K. Hao.
The Honolulu Fire Department said in a statement that the incident occurred outside a home just before midnight. The neighborhood is close to Honolulu International Airport and the U.S. Air Force and Navy Joint Base, and is a little more than 2 miles east of the USS Arizona Memorial, which commemorates the sailors who died in the attack on Pearl Harbor that dragged the United States into World War II .
Two people were pronounced dead at the scene and the other victims were transported to hospitals, according to Honolulu Emergency Medical Services.
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“I’ve been in EMS for over 30 years and in terms of the sheer tragedy, the number of patients and the severity of the injuries, this is probably one of the worst calls I’ve ever had to take,” said Dr. Jim, director of the Honolulu Department of Emergency Services. Ireland on Wednesday said at an earlier press conference.
Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi issued a statement saying that the death toll was three people and more than 20 others were seriously injured.
“This incident is a painful reminder of the dangers of illegal fireworks, which can endanger lives, drain our first responder resources and disrupt our communities,” Blangiardi said.
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said several children under the age of 10 were among the injured. He compared the force of the explosion to a bomb.
“They were fireworks, but they were put together in such a way that they were so explosive that they knocked the tables over and then launched these firework rockets into other firework storage rooms,” he said.
At a news conference, Honolulu Police Chief Joe Logan described the series of events leading up to the explosion.
He said: “It appears that shortly after midnight a party-goer lit an aerial cake in the driveway, which was a container containing multiple aerial fireworks. “The cake fell to the side and the aerial shot contained additional Crate of fireworks,” causing the explosion.
The fire department said it was investigating the cause of the explosion and said there was no fire inside the home. The victim was not immediately identified.
Overnight, several social media posts showed videos of home fireworks being set off across large swaths of the city. Officials reported four other serious fireworks injuries not related to the explosion.
